Suspension means for carcass-cutting saws



1967 E. c. STEINER SUSPENSION MEANS FOR UARCASSCUTTING SAWS Filed June30, 1965 w mm INVENTOR. EZ'K/LL C. STE/NEH United States Patent3,333,800 SUSPENSION MEANSS 1:01; CARCASS-CUTTING W Ezekiel C. Steiner,1438 E. Slausen Ave, Los Angeles, Calif. 90011 Filed June 30, 1965, Ser.No. 468,238 2 Claims. (Cl. 248-17) This invention relates to suspensionmeans for carcasscutting saws and similar power tools that require tohave their balance changed to facilitate the different angular cuttingstrokes required to be performed. If not all, most carcass-splittersprovide two or more holes to which the end of a suspension cable may beselectively connected. One such hole is used when the tool is bestpresented for slitting a carcass at an upward angle, as when starting aslitting operation from the top of a carcass. Another is used inslitting performed with a more or less horizontal stroke. A third isused if the stroke is in a downward direction.

It will be realized that these tools weight between one and two hundredpounds, depending on whether they are to be used for splitting beef,veal or hogs, and that a well-balanced tool facilitates splittingoperations and enables efiicient and non-tiring work, as well asspeeding the operation, obtaining cleaner, more accurate cuts, andgenerally lowering the cost of this type of work.

The above-mentioned known manner of'providing for change of balancecannot, ordinarily, be carried out by the tool operator, alone. Changingthe connection of the suspension cable from one hole to another usuallyrequires the time and services of two men with resultant loss ofoperating time and ensuing increase in costs.

Recognizing the above-enumerated faults of known suspension means, anobject of the present invention is to provide simple and improvedsuspension means for carcass-cutting saws and similar tools that enablesthe operator, by mere manipulation of the tool handle, to shift thepoint from which the tool is suspended relative to the unevenlydistributed weight of such tools to obtain the desired balance orimbalance, as the case may be, thereby enabling tilting the tool atvarious up or down angles for best cutting results.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tool, as abovecharacterized, in which the point of suspension floats or is freelymovable in the shifting bight of a flexible hanger that is located atthe center of gravity or balance of the tool.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for locking thepoint of suspension, thereby fixing the point of connection to thehanger.

The invention also has for its objects to provide suspension meanscomprising novel details and novel combinations of parts, which willbecome more clearly evident from the following detailed description ofan exemplary form of the invention.

The above objects are realized in a construction in which a carcasssplitter or like tool, at the upper part thereof at the center ofgravity or balance, is provided with a length of chain with its endslongitudinally spaced and secured to the tool, the space between saidchain ends being shorter than the length of the chain which, whenextended, forms a bight. A free-turning sprocket pinion is engaged withthe chain from beneath, and a yoke with a cross pin on which said pinionis mounted between the arms thereof has an upper hook that has a hangingconnection with a hanger cable. The weight of the tool, when thus hungby the bight in the chain from said pinion-provided yoke, is ordinarilybalanced to a general horizontal position. In this condition, the bightin the chain is approximately spaced the same from the points where thechain ends are secured. This balance may be changed to cause the saw toassume an angular position, either up or down, by shifting the bightnearer one anchor point of the chain than the other. This may beaccomplished by pulling rearwardly on the tool, pushing forwardlythereof, raising the handle end, depressing said end, or any combinationof these movements. The end of the tool toward which the bight is movedwill become over-balanced and that end will assume an upward angle. Alock for the pinion to prevent its rotation retains the same in a fixedbight to retain the balance or a pre-set imbalance of the tool.

In the drawing, in which like numerals designate similar parts:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a carcass-cutting saw provided withthe suspension means of the present invention and shown in normalbalance position.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are enlarged and fragmentary vertical sectional views astaken on the respective lines 22 and 33 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4, to a somewhat smaller scale than FIG. 2, is a vertical sectionalview as taken on the plane of the line 4-4 of FIG. 2, the suspensionmeans being shown in a shifted position and the tool angularly tiltedaccordingly.

The tool shown in FIG. 1 is representative of carcasssplitting saws. Thesame has a grip handle 5 at one end, a main body 6 forward of saidhandle, an electric motor 7 mounted on said body 6 and extendinglaterally therefrom, and a yoke 8 extending forwardly from the upperpart of the body 6 and then downwardly at 9 to form a support arm for acutter blade 10 then extends from said body 6 and is reciprocated bymeans driven by the motor 7 and housed in said body portion 6.

Such a tool is substantially heavier at the handle end than at theopposite end, due to the weight of the motor 7 and the mechanismconnecting the same and the blade 10. This arrangement being typical ofsuch tools, the one illustrated should be considered as exemplary and,per se, forms no part of the present invention.

Tools such as the one illustrated have, in the past, been provided witha hanger bracket extending fixedly upwardly from the body 6 at thecenter of gravity or balance of the tool. A series of holes,horizontally aligned, is provided in said bracket, a yoke hanging from asuspension cable being connected to a bolt in one of said holes,according to the angle of balance desired for the tool.

According to the invention, the present suspension means 15 comprises,generally, a length of chain 16, bicycle chain being preferred, twosimilar chain end anchors 17 at the upper part of the body 6 spaced onopposite sides of the center of gravity or balance 18 of the tool and adistance substantially less than the effective length of the chain 16, asprocket pinion 19 engaged with the chain in a bight 20 formed thereinby the weight of the tool, a yoke 21 mounting said pinion 19 andconnected to a hanger cable 22, and means 23 to fix or lock the pinion1? against rotation.

Each chain anchor is shown housed in a recess 25 in the body 6, the samecomprising a block 26 fitted in said recess and having a seat 27 thereinof U-form and in which the three links at the end of the chain may befitted and retained against displacement by a bolt 28 extending throughthe block 26 and a plate 29 that closes the inner side of the recess 25,and threadedly engaged with the body 6. The head of said bolt holds theblock 26 in place.

The length of the chain over the six links wrapped around the bolts 28,is sufiiciently greater than the distance between the bolts so that theslack in said chain forms a flexible hanger loop. The sprocket pinion 19is engaged from beneath with the links of said loop and is free to turnwith a cross pin 30 which is connected to the pinion by a key 31. Saidpin has rotational bearing in aligned bores in the legs 32 of the yoke21, has a poly onal head 33 at one end, and is retained in place by a.lock nut 34. The legs 32 are connected by a loop 35. The mentionedcable. 22 has its end wrapped around said loop with a clip or clipsfixedly connecting the cable end for permanent connection with the yoke15.

FIG. 1 shows the yoke 15 positioned midway between the anchors 17 whenthe pinion 19 forming and engaged in the bight 20 is midway between saidanchors with equal runs 36 between the bight and the anchors; When thetool is shifted from a horizontal position to an angular position, or ispulled rearwardly or pushed forwardly, the pinion 19 will turn on theaxis of pin 30 and the bight 20 will move nearer one of the anchors 17.FIG. 4 shows one such shifted position of the pinion with the bight 20shifted to form a longer run extending to one anchor and a shorter run38 extending to the other anchor. The tool, therefore, naturally assumes.an angle to the horizontal and is in substantial balance at that angle.The difference in run lengths is increased as the angle steepens. Theangle may, of course, be opposite to the one shown.

The chain 16 may be formed endless with the same trained over bolts 28to form a straight run between said bolts and the loop as shown. Thebolts, thereby, form anchors from which the loop extends in the mannerdescribed and from which the tool is suspended.

The yoke 15 may be locked to any part of the chain loop by locking thepinion against rotation. To this end, the means 23 is provided, the samebeing shown as a set screw 39 threadedly engaged in an car 40 on one ofthe legs 32 and directed to engage a face of the pin head 34. FIG. 1shows the pin locked and FIG, 2 shows the pin released, the operatorhaving the choice according to the types of out he is to make.

Since the foregoing is given by way of example, it is to be understoodthat the construction is subject to modification without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the appended claims. Therefore, I desire toreserve to myself all such modifications.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to besecured by Letters Patent is:

1. Suspension'means comprising:

(a) a carcass splitter or the like having a body,

(b) two longitudinally spaced anchor units provided on said body, eachanchor unit comprising a block secured by a bolt to the splitter bodyand having a recess therein between the walls of which and the bolt, thementioned end links of the chain are nonremovably confined,

(c) a length of bicycle chain having its end links anchored in saidunits, the length of the chain between said end links beingsubstantially greater than the space between the anchored links at bothends, thereby forming a flexible loop comprising chain links.

(d) a sprocket pinion having its teeth engaged with the loop links frombeneath, said chain loop forming a bight around the pinion due to theweight of the splitter on the pinion, and

(e) a cable-hung yoke having means for rotationally mounting said pinionfor rolling engagement with the links of said chain.

2. Supension means according to claim 1 in which (a) the yoke isprovided with parallel arms between which the pinion is located,

(b) the pinion mounting means including a rotational pin extendingbetween the arms and keyed to'the pinion,

(c) a polygonal head on said pin, and

(d) a set screw carried by one of the arms and directed to engage a.face of said head to retain the pin and pinion against rotation.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 593,064 11/1897 Albree 248--17893,788 7/ 1908 Copeland 248-31 2,129,320 9/1938 Geairns Q. 248-54 2,331,628 10/ 1943 Piron 2483 ROY D. FRAZIER, Primary Examiner.

J. PETO, Assistant Examiner.

1. SUSPENSION MEANS COMPRISING: (A) A CARCASS SPLITTER OR THE LIKEHAVING A BODY, (B) TWO LONGITUDINALLY SPACED ANCHOR UNITS PROVIDED ONSAID BODY, EACH ANCHOR UNIT COMPRISING A BLOCK SECURED BY A BOLT TO THESPLITTER BODY AND HAVING A RECESS THEREIN BETWEEN THE WALLS OF WHICH ANDTHE BOLT, THE MENTIONED END LINKS OF THE CHAIN ARE NONREMOVABLYCONFINED, (C) A LENGTH OF BICYCLE CHAIN HAVING ITS ENDS LINKS ANCHOREDIN SAID UNITS, THE LENGTH OF THE CHAIN BETWEEN SAID END LINKS BEINGSUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN THE SPACE BETWEEN THE ANCHORED LINKS AT BOTHENDS, THEREBY FORMING A FLEXIBLE LOOP COMPRISING CHAIN LINKS. (D) ASPROCKET PINION HAVING ITS TEETH ENGAGED WITH THE LOOP LINKS FROMBENEATH, SAID CHAIN LOOP FORMING A BIGHT AROUND THE PINION DUE TO THEWEIGHT OF THE SPLITTER ON THE PINION, AND (E) A CABLE-HUNG YOKE HAVINGMEANS FOR ROTATIONALLY MOUNTING SAID PINION FOR ROLLING ENGAGMENT WITHTHE LINKS OF SAID CHAIN.